Foil dispenser and perforator



J. G. KUNSCH Fgb. 16, 1960 FOIL DISPENSER AND PERFORATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 3, 1957 FlG.l

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INVENTOR. JOHN G. KUNSCH BY Z Z z 4g ,LZQZIv A TTORNE K5 Feb. 16, 1960 KUNSCH 2,925,207

FOIL DISPENSER AND PERFORATOR Filed June 3, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 as d||l 7 "H,

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INVENTOR. JOHN G. KUNS CH A TTO/PNEKS 2,925,207 FOIL DISPENSER AND PERFORATDR John G. Kunsch, Kelso, Wash. Application June 3, 1957, Serial No; 663,178

3 Claims. 01. 225-7 My present invention comprises a dispenser for flexible sheet material rolled upon a hollow core, such as aluminum foil and similar material. The invention is of particular utility in dispensing aluminum foil in perforated form for use in cooking, such as in the preparation of fried foods, the perforated foil forming a pan cover to prevent splashing of grease while permitting the escape of vapor. This enables food to be fried under conditions which cause the food to brown but also under conditions in which very little, if any, melted fat splashes onto the surface of the stove. The present invention provides means whereby short lengths of the material may be withdrawn and severed from the roll, with the material being perforated at a plurality of points during the withdrawal thereof from the roll. The length of foil may then be formed into a pan cover with the perforations providing escape passages for vapor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a foil dispensing device of the foregoing character which is inexpensive, easily fabricated, andsturdy.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser from which the sheet material may be dispensed either in perforated or unperforated condition.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser of the foregoing character in which a hollow core roll of sheet material may be easily mounted, and from which the hollow core of a depleted roll may be easily withdrawn. 7

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following specification, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is described and illustrated, and throughout which the same numerals apply to the same parts.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention having a hollowcore roll of material mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the dispenser with a hollow core roll of material mounted therein, taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the dispenser taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and illustrating the action of withdrawing a length of material from a roll of material mounted therein and perforating the material as it is being withdrawn, the dispenser being mounted in one possible manner on a vertical support;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the manner of severing a withdrawn length of material from the roll, and showing the dispenser mounted upon an overhead, horizontal support;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of dispenser with parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view partly in section and on an enlarged scale of one end of the device of Fig. 5 showing a resilient boss forming a journal for one end .Of the roll of sheet material.

ited States Patent The dispenserof Figs. 1 to 4 comprises a roll supporting frame in the form of an elongated, rectangular sheet of resilient sheet metal having end portions bent at right angles to the remainder thereof so as to provide a bracket comprising a rectangulanelongated base portion 10 having an integral member 11 at one end and an integral member 12 at the opposite end, the members 11 and 12 projecting forwardly from the base portion. Each of the end members is longitudinally slit at 13 from its free edge inwardly to the base portion so as to be subdivided into a first portion 14 and a second portion 15. Each first portion 14 is provided with roll journaling means comprising a centrally disposed, inwardly projecting, round boss 16 of such diameter as to be receivable in the end of a hollow core 17 upon which a roll 18 of sheet material is disposed, the bosses being coaxially aligned. The portions 14 are resilient and unsecured at their outer ends so that they may be sprung apart to permit the roll to be rotatively journaled on the bosses 16 whereby the roll will be retained while the sheet material is stripped therefrom.

The outer ends of the second portions 15 are fixed to a cutter blade or tearing element 20 which spans the space between the end members in spaced relation to the axis of the bosses 16, the cutter blade lying in the plane of the outer edges of the end members and facing inwardly toward the base.

A perforating roller 21 is journaled in the second portions 15 by means of coaxial, projecting journals 22 which are received in confining openings in the inner reaches of the portions 15. Preferably a nylon washer 23 is interposed between each of the portions 15 and the adjacent end of the roller 21 so as to permit free rotation of the perforating roller. The perforating roller is provided with a plurality of pointed projections 24 throughout its surface.

As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the perforating roller is spacedfrom the cutter blade, the two elements defining a slot 30 through which the sheet material. may be withdrawn from the roll. If an unperforated sheet is desired, the material is pulled straight through the slot and then severed by tearing it along the cutter blade edge. If a perforated sheet is desired, the sheet material is withdrawn in contact with the perforating roller whereby the projections 24 puncture the sheet material at a plurality of points, then, as before, the desired length of perforated material is severed from the roll by engaging it with the cutter element.

It is to be appreciated that the base portion 10 is preferably provided with several spaced openings through which mounting screws 31 may be passed in order to mount the dispenser upon a vertical support 32 as illustrated in Fig. 3, or a horizontal support 33 as illustrated in Fig. 4. The dispenser may be reversed from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the material is dispensed downwardly instead of upwardly, depending upon .the position of the support and the desire of the operator.

The modified form of dispenser shown in Figs. 5 to 7 includes roll supporting frame in the form of a boxlike structure 34, preferably of molded plastic having a top wall 35, a back wall 36 and a front wall 37. The structure 34 also has end members 38 and .39 joining the top, back and front walls. One of the end members 38 has secured thereto a journal member 40 which is urged longitudinally of the device by a compression spring 41. The journal member 40 is hollow and is guided by telescopingly engaging a spring retainer 42, the journal member 40 and spring retainer being held in position by a headed fastening element 42 extending axially of the journal member through such journal member and slidably through the end member 38. The other end mem ber 39 may have a similar journal member (not shown) Patented Feb. 16, 1960 secured thereto or may have a stationary boss such as the boss 16 of Fig. 2 for receiving the end of the hollow core 17 supporting the roll 18 of sheet material.

The front wall 37 extends downwardly from the top of the device and terminates approximately midway of the height of the. device and the lower corners of the end members 38 and 39- directly below therfront wall are joined by a knife or tearing element 43 spaced from the lower edge of the front wall to define a slot through which the sheet material may be dispensed. A perforating roller 44 similar to the roller 21 of Figs. 1 to 4 is journaled in the end members so as to occupy a position behind the front wall 37. The roller 44 has perforating teeth 45 thereon and the roll is positioned so that withdrawing sheet material in contact with or close to the lower edge of the front wall 37 will cause the sheet material to be perforated, whereas withdrawing sheet material close to the tearing member 43 will provide unperforated sheet material. In either case the sheet material may be severed by pulling it across the tearing element 43. The bottom of the dispenser of Figs. 5 to 7 is preferably left open to provide for inserting and removing rolls of sheet material and it is apparent that such a roll may be positioned in the dispenser or removed therefrom by pushing the journal member 40 axially of the device toward the end member 39. In common with the dispenser of Figs. 1- to 4, the dispenser of Figs. 5 to 7 may be mounted so as to dispense the sheet material in a generally horizontal direction such as indicated in Fig. -6 or in a generally upward direction such as indicated in Fig. 3.

I It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modifications in arrangement and detail. All such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the following claims are considered to be a part of my invention.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for a roll of sheet material comprising a frame including an elongated sheet of resilient material having a base portion adapted to be mounted upon a support and an integral, forwardly projecting end member at each of the opposite ends of said base portion, each of said end members being longitudinally slotted from its free edge inwardly so as to be sub-divided into a first portion and a second portion, each of said, first portions having a boss thereon projecting toward the other first portion, said bosses being in coaxial alignment with each other whereby said firstporti'ons may be sprung apart to permit engagement of said bosses in the outer ends of a hollow core roll of sheet material rotatively to support the roll of sheet material in the space between said first portions, a cutter element fixed to, and spanning the space between, the free ends of said second portions in spaced relation to and parallel to the axis of said bosses, and a perforating roller journalled at its ends in, said second portions in spaced relation to and parallel to the axis ofsaid bosses and to said center element, said perforating roller having a plurality of perforating projections, and the cutting edge of said element being directed toward said perforating roller and defining therewith a I slot through which a length of sheet material may be drawn from the roll to be perforated by engagement with said projections while being withdrawn in contact with said perforating roller and then severed from the roll by engagement with said cutter element.

2. A dispenser for a roll of sheet material comprising a frame including an elongated sheet of resilient material including a base portion adapted to be mounted upon a support andan integral, forwardly projecting end member at each of the opposite ends of said base portion, each of said end members being longitudinally slotted from its free edge inwardly so as to be sub-divided into a first portion and a second portion, eachof said first portions having a boss thereon projecting toward the other end member, said bosses being in coaxial alignment with each other whereby said first portions may be sprung apart to permit engagement of said bosses in the outer ends of a hollow core roll of sheet material rotatively to support the roll of sheet material in the space between said end members, and a perforating roller journalled at its ends in said second portions in spaced relation to and parallel to the axis of said bosses, said perforating roller having a plurality of perforating projections whereby a length of sheet material being drawn from the roll may be perforated by engagement with said projections while being withdrawn in contact with said perforating roller.

3,. A dispenser for a roll of sheet material, said dispenser comprising a roll supporting frame having a portion for mounting on a supporting surface, said frame including a pair of laterally spaced end members, journal means on said end members for fitting within the ends of a hollow roll of sheet material spanning the space between said end members for rotatively supporting said hollow roll concentrically with said journal means, a perforating roller journalled at its. ends in said end members and positioned in spaced relation to and parallel to theaxis of said journal means, a cutter element mounted on and spanning the space between said end member and positioned in spaced relation to and parallel to the, axis of said journal means and to said perforating roller, said cutting element having a cutting edge directed toward said perforating roller and providing a slot between said perforating roller and said cutting edge through which a length of sheet material can be drawn from said roll while in contact with said perforating roller and spaced from said cutting element or while spaced from both said perforating roller and said cutter element, said perforating roller having sharpened projections for perforating said sheet material when drawn from said roll in contact with said perforating roller and said cutting edge providing for cutting off the resulting sheet of perforated sheet material or for alternatively cutting off a sheet of unperforated paper drawn from said roll out of contact with said perforating roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 828,115 Hoell Aug. 7, 1906 2,555,885 Hope June 5, 1951 2,565,994 Sevenich Aug. 28, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,925,207 February 16, 1960 John G. Kunsch Column 3, line 58, for "center" read cutter column 4, line 27, for "diepense-r'" read dispenser Signed and sealed this 2nd day of August 1960.

( SEAL) Attest:

KARL AXLINE ROBERT c. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

